Humming Room Blog Tour: Interview with Ellen Potter

In celebration of the release of The Humming Room written by the amazing, Ellen Potter, MacMillian is running a blog tour and giveaway.  Ellen was kind enough to stop by the blog to answer some questions.  Also, one lucky winner will receive a copy of The Humming Room - see details below.

The Secret Garden was one of my absolute favorite books as a child. When I found out that The Humming Room was similar, I was so excited to read it. Did you worry that people will overlook Roo's story because they would be looking for comparisons with The Secret Garden

Oh, I was full of worries when I wrote this book, but then I’m a natural-born worrier. The idea of reinventing a classic was as exciting as it was nerve-jangling. The fact that The Secret Garden was one of my favorite books of all time really amped up the pressure. Still, out of this miasma of anxiety, the character of Roo emerged so powerfully that I knew her story could stand on its own.

 When I finished reading The Humming Room, I immediately had to go look up the islands. What was your favorite part of doing the research for the book? 

All of it! Researching The Humming Room was bliss. The Thousand Islands region of New York is paradise—in the summer, at least. I wandered around islands, spied on osprey nests, and found out from a wildlife rehabilitator how to feed a baby bird (with a paintbrush). I guess my favorite piece of research was when I accompanied the island mail carrier on his rounds. We zipped through the St. Lawrence River on his little green boat, stopping to deliver the mail to the islanders. That boat went so fast I thought I might throw up. In a good way, I mean.

Your books are all set in present day. Do you ever see yourself writing a book in a different time period? If so, what one? 

I have this lingering fantasy that I’ll write a book set in England in the mid 1800’s. The thing is, though, I can’t even remember the combination to my gym locker, much less retain the tiniest details of everyday life in the Victorian Era. I suspect my brain would erupt in flames if I even tried.

With all of your books, I have come to love your characters. What is the secret to writing characters that readers will connect with? 

If I were at a party, my characters are the sort of people I would gravitate toward—for better or for worse. I write about people who fascinate me, so it’s possible that my obsession with them transfers to my readers.

I know I have mentioned this before to you, but your writing is truly lovely. What is your editing and revision process like? And have you worked with the same editor on a number of books or do you have a different editor each time? 

Like most writers, I revise A LOT. The first draft often resembles a puzzle that has been put together by someone who hasn’t had their morning coffee yet. I have to go back in many times to make sure all the pieces are snug and in the right place. I’ve been very fortunate with my editors. Jean Feiwel at Feiwel & Friends edited both The Kneebone Boy and The Humming Room, with a light, but magical, touch. She always seems to understand what I am shooting for in each scene, and with gentle nudges she aligns me with my intention.

When I interviewed you last, I commented about the wonderful cover for The Kneebone Boy. You seem to have some great cover karma. Now looking at the cover for The Humming Room - did you work with the same designer? A different one? And did you get any input on the cover? 

Cover karma! I like that. Yes, I must have done something really nice for an artist in a past life, because I am one lucky gal when it comes to my book covers. The Humming Room cover was done by the mind-blowingly gifted Jason Chan. He also did the stunning cover for The Kneebone Boy. Before Jason Chan came along, I used to worry about my covers (I told you I’m a worrier). Writers generally have very little control over what their covers will look like. But Jason is such a visionary that I would literally write a book based on one of his covers.

When I think about my favorite books as a child, I think of the ones that I took out from the school library or classroom library over and over again. It seems that everyone has at least one book that may have never made it back to the library because it was so well loved. Do you have one? 

Mine would have been A Wrinkle in Time. For the longest time, I would squeeze my eyes shut and try to “tesseract” to another plant. It never worked, incidentally.

If you could spend the day with a book character (doesn't have to be one of your characters), who would it be and what would you do?

Hands down, I’d spent the day with Roald Dahl’s The BFG, drinking frobscottle and making whizzpoppers.

Thanks Ellen for doing this interview....and I can't wait to get the book into the hands of students.

You can find out more about Ellen Potter at her website: www.ellenpotter.com

You can follow her on twitter: @ellenpotter

To find out where all the stop are on The Humming Room Blog Tour, click here.



Giveaway Rules:

1. Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any personal information in the comments section (including your email, website, etc.).  If you do enter personal information, you comment will not be posted.
2.  You must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.

3.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 2, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on March 9, 2012.

4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.

5.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

6.  US and Canadian residents are welcome to enter the contest.


Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday (8)


As part of the Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge 2012 (Twitter: #nfpb2012), my goal is to read and review as many of the new non-fiction picture books that are released this year.  Wednesdays will be my primary day to post the reviews.

This week's Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is coming to you courtesy of Penguin Books. Thanks to Publisher Rep extraordinaire, Nicole, one lucky reader has a chance to win a copy of The Camping Trip that Changed America by Barbara Rosenstock and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba.  In addition to these two wonderful books, there is also a signed print from Maira Kalman's book Looking At Lincoln


The Camping Trip that Changed America
Author: Barbara Rosenstock
Illustrator: Mordecai Gerstein
Publisher: Penguin Group (January 19, 2012)
Audience: 2nd to 5th grade

Can you imagine going on a camping trip with the President of the United States?  True, I am not much of a camper, it doesn't prevent me from thinking about what it would be like to have some undivided time with one of the most influential people in the world.  Of course, it wouldn't be very easy to accomplish this today.  Can you imagine how many Secret Service men would have to join you?  However, this story takes place in 1903, when it was still possible for the President to go off on an adventure. 

Though this is more of a fictionalized telling of a fateful camping trip that President Theodore Roosevelt went on with naturalist, John Muir, there is still some great information in this book. Barbara Rosenstock does a nice job depicting the enthusiasm which Roosevelt possessed and the sense of adventure and appreciation for nature as beheld by Muir.  My favorite part in the book is a two page spread where Roosevelt and Muir are camping out under the skies and Muir tells Roosevelt about all the wonderful things there were in the United States.  All I can imagine is how these two men influenced each other in some important way.

Mordicai Gerstein illustrations lend a certain mood that perfectly suits the book.  Rosenstock includes some quotes and important author notes at the end of the book which provide slightly more information.  I found this a fun read and would certainly recommend it for a classroom or school library.



The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Author: William Kamkwamba, Bryan Mealer
Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon
Publisher: Dial (January 19, 2012)
Audience: 2nd to 5th grade

"In a small village in Malawi, where people had no money for lights, nightfall came quickly and hurried poor farmers to bed.  But for William, the darkness was best for dreaming."  

In a world, where so many children have so much and sometimes believe that they should receive a grade or a position for just showing up, it was refreshing to read about William Kamkwamba's story.  In a poor village, in face of a drought, and without the funding to attend school, William used his ability to dream and his curiosity about how things work to develop a solution that would help his family and community.  Creating a windmill at a teenager in the best of circumstances would be a challenge, but having to scrounge the pieces from junkyards and wherever else he could find things made the challenge even that much greater.  William's story is inspirational and should be shared with children. 

Elizabeth Zunon's mixed media illustrations bring an extra dimension to this story and makes both William and his windmill stand out and pop off the pages.  A fascinating story paired up with well matched illustrations makes this a wonderful book to add to a classroom or school collection.


Looking At Lincoln
Author/Illustrator: Maria Kalman
Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books (January 5, 2012)
Audience: 2nd to 5th grade

Starting with the penny and a five dollar bill, Maria Kalman introduces children to the 16th president in quirky but factual manner.  As with the previous title, there is an element of the story being fictionalized but there is accuracy in the facts of the story.  It was particularly interesting for me to pick up a couple of other picture books written at very different times and by very different authors and find that certain aspects of Lincoln's life was prominent in each of the books. 

The often humorous, yet touching look at the life and habits of Lincoln, including his relationship with his wife, and how he stored notes in his hat, made this important president seem even more humble and significant.  The illustrations also done by Kalman add to the feeling of the book, and I especially liked how she tied the story together at the end with the Lincoln Memorial.  Though I believe children ages 7 and up will enjoy the book, I do think the 2nd and 3rd graders may particularly connect to the illustrations and story format.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any personal information in the comments section (including your email, website, etc.).  If you do enter personal information, you comment will not be posted.
2.  You must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.

3.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on February 29, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on March 6, 2012.

4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.

5.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

6.  International participants are welcome to enter the contest.






Thank you Katherine Applegate

Last Wednesday, we had a special visitor in our Literacy Café, author Katherine Applegate.


 Five special readers were lucky enough to have lunch with Katherine where she shared with them about her first rejection letter, what kinds of notes her editor writes on her manuscripts, and all the books that she has written.  She also brought them each a stuffed silverback Gorilla with a special T-shirt that said "The One and Only Ivan".







After lunch, about 18 students from grades 1 to 5 had the opportunity to come into the Literacy Café for a special writer's workshop.


Katherine shared about her research for The One and Only Ivan.  And she told them all about how she creates her characters, and figures out the setting and the plot.  I loved that she referred to the plot as a "what if..." as in "What if your principal turned into a cat?"


Students had an opportunity to create some of their own characters, and figure out where their story would take place, and decide on their "what if's".  While they were doing this, Katherine came around and chatted with them.


I know that if I had been 10 years old and having lunch with Katherine Applegate or having her give me feedback on my story idea that I would be in some kind of book heaven.  Hey, I am way older than 10 and I was in some kind of book heaven as I watched the students enjoying their time with our very special visitor.

Katherine is truly wonderful and we love Ivan over at my school.  We are also thankful to Kris and Maureen from Once Upon a Time for helping to arrange for the visit and for providing volunteer help and ordering all of the books.  You ladies rock!

Check out the animoto of Katherine's visit and don't forget to order of copy of The One and Only Ivan from your local Independent Bookstore.

What are you reading? From Picture Books to YA (13)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Sheila of Book Journey.  Jen & Kellee from 
Teach Mentor Texts have adapted this to focus on Picture Books to Young Adult Books.
Each week I'll recap what I've read/reviewed the week before 
and then look ahead to what I am planning on reading/reviewing in the upcoming week.
 
Last week's book adventures:
Just as I thought I was getting back into a steady reading groove, I had one of those weeks where I wasn't home most evenings.  This led to a pretty nominal reading week (1 YA, 1 early chapter book, 1 early reader, and 5 picture books).  I find I get cranky when I don't have time to read.  It probably has more to do with not having time to recharge, but reading is one of the ways I recharge.  I did have a great week in terms of books and author encounters.  I am working on some posts about the fabulous Katherine Applegate's visit to my school, the Breathless Reads Tour that stopped by Once Upon a Time, and also the wonderful SCIBA Dinner
 
Here are my favorites from the past week:


The Amazing Adventures of Supercat! by Kate McMuller; Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre


The Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

I am saving one of the books for Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday so I won't mention it yet.

Upcoming book adventures:



Timeless by Gail Carriger - If I read nothing else this week, I am going to read this book.  It is on my must read list and it comes out on Thursday.  I am addicted to Carriger's Steampunk Paranormal Series.  I admit that it is complete cotton candy reading fun, but sometimes that is the best kind of book.  Timeless is the final book in the series and I just can't wait to read it.


So, what are you reading this week? 

Please share! And remember to check in at Sheila's or Jen & Kellee's blog to see what they and others are reading!    


Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday (7)


As part of the Non-Fiction Picture Book Challenge 2012 (Twitter: #nfpb2012), my goal is to read and review as many of the new non-fiction picture books that are released this year.  Wednesdays will be my primary day to post the reviews.

Alien Investigation: Searching for the Truth About UFO's and Aliens
Author: Kelly Milner Halls
Illustrated: Rick C. Spears
Publisher: Millbrook Press (January 1, 2012)
Audience:  Grades 4 to 8
Source: Copy for review/giveaway

Description from Publisher:
Imagine . . . you're in the woods after dark. Eerie green lights appear in the distance. Then there's a sudden flash and everything is dark again. You decide to take a closer look. You come upon a saucer-shaped craft hovering silently just above the ground. You reach out to touch it, but the object suddenly shoots up into the sky. Have you just seen a UFO?

Some people say they have had experiences like this. Are they telling the truth? To find out, Kelly Milner Halls investigated stories of eyewitnesses from around the world. She explored UFO sightings, landings, crashes, aliens, and even a few hoaxes. She also interviewed several of the world's UFO experts. Examine her findings and decide for yourself whether visitors from other worlds are real.


My thoughts on the book:
Children often find stories about aliens and spaceships fascinating and interesting.  They typically have lots of questions too.  To find a book that provides children a mixture of facts, pieces of information from the news, and interviews all in an easy to understand format is not easy.  Kelly Milner Halls has provided just such a book.  The book is divided into four chapters that looks at UFO's or space ship sightings over the years.  This is followed by a chapter on Crashes and Landings.  Next up is a section on Aliens, and it is followed by Hoaxes and Misunderstandings.  Throughout the book, children are cued in by the term Imagine and a team of bold alien explorers provide a view point of the aliens preparing to travel.  The book concludes with the question "Real or Unreal?"

Though the book has only 64 pages, it is filled with a significant amount of text and information.  I sometimes find that teachers might consider a book of this length as not long enough for use for a report.  However, in reading through this book, Milner Hall has managed to do an admirable job of condensing extensive amount of research into a form that children will find accessible.   Additionally, the book does not lean in one direction or the other.  It allows the reader to form their own conclusions and to explore further the possibility that life exists beyond earth.

After reading through this book, I would recommend it for any school or classroom library.

For more information about Kelly Milner Hall and her books, please click here

Giveaway Rules:

1. Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any personal information in the comments section (including your email, website, etc.).  If you do enter personal information, you comment will not be posted.

2.  You must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.

3.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on February 22, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on February 28, 2012.

4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.

5.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

6.  International participants are welcome to enter the contest.